aunt
IPA: /ɑːnt/
the sister of your mother or father
English vocabulary by topic
Family vocabulary in English
Words for introducing people close to you, explaining relationships and talking about your family.
12 wordsBritish audioClear definitions
Vocabulary for talking about people close to you
The list covers family and other close relationships with words such as father, brother, sister, daughter, husband, wife, grandfather and friend. You can use them when meeting people, completing forms and talking about your personal life.
Notice the pairs brother — sister and husband — wife. Learning related words together makes them easier to distinguish and use in sentences.
Vocabulary
Words in this topic
Use the speaker icon to hear each word in British English.
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baby
IPA: /ˈbeɪbɪ/
a very young child
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brother
IPA: /ˈbrʌðə/
a male sibling
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child
IPA: /tʃaɪld/
a young person
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daughter
IPA: /ˈdɔːtə/
a female child in a family
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family
IPA: /ˈfæmɪlɪ/
a group of related people
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father
IPA: /ˈfɑːðə/
a male parent
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friend
IPA: /frɛnd/
a person you know and like
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grandfather
IPA: /ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə/
the father of one of your parents
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husband
IPA: /ˈhʌzbənd/
the man someone is married to
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sister
IPA: /ˈsɪstə/
a female sibling
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wife
IPA: /waɪf/
the woman someone is married to
01
How to remember these words
- Draw a small family tree and label each person in English.
- Say one sentence aloud about every person in your family.
- Review male and female relationship words as pairs.
02
Useful phrases
My brother and sister live nearby.
My grandfather lives nearby.
They have a baby daughter.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between family and relatives?
Family often refers to your close family as a group, while relatives can include the wider network of people related to you.
What is the plural of child?
The plural is children. It is irregular and needs to be learned as a separate form.
Do family nouns need an article?
Do not add an article after a possessive such as my, his or our: say my sister and our father.
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